


ephemeral

by MerryDreaming



Series: OTP series: M!Byleth/Linhardt [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: (pls don't spoil me), IF CANON BANS ME FROM SHIPPING BYHARDT I WILL FACE THE CHURCH OF SEIROS AND WALK BACKWARDS INTO HELL, Impulse Kissing, M/M, Post-Time Skip, bound to be a little OOC because of that, little to no story spoilers because i know all of jack and shit, pre-release, slight proof reading first draft final destination #yolo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2020-05-14 12:54:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19273753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MerryDreaming/pseuds/MerryDreaming
Summary: Live every day like it's your last.(Because tomorrow may never come again.)





	ephemeral

As someone who wasn't a stranger to the desire to find a good place to nap, Linhardt's newly found insomnia keeping him up was practically abject suffering. Here he was, not necessarily on the most comfortable bedding in the world, but able to sleep until the morning comes, and he couldn't find it in him to close his eyes for more than a few minutes at a time. Thoughts roiled around in his head, a storm threatening to keep him up until sunrise, burdening him to the point of frustration. The thoughts of what would happen if tomorrow was his last day alive, how much he would leave behind, how much of his research would be left hanging in the air because he was fighting in this war, how much he still wants to do, how much he still wants to _say_ \--all of it roiled around in his mind until he simply couldn't take it anymore.

It's with surprising energy that Linhardt gets up, making his way out of his tent and into the cold night. His eyes shoot to the stars, the new moon allowing them to shine without anything in the way. Each twinkled above, blinking like the millions of eyes of the people who counted on their victory; watching fervently, anxiously, looking down upon the army that would either bring their salvation or their doom. It'd be almost stifling, were it not so beautiful without that in mind.

"So, you can't sleep either."

Linhardt practically jumps at the sudden words, looking over to see Byleth walking over to him from the side. Where on earth had he come from? Linhardt's look after that, however, is a slightly narrow eyed, displeased look as he regains his bearings. "Well, I'm certainly not going to be able to now, after that little fright..."

Byleth shakes his head, sighing with some level of tiredness of his own. Linhardt wasn't sure if it was with the response, or if he was just that exhausted; either could be the case, at this point. "Sorry. I thought patrolling around camp might help, but I'm not even close to being tired...I wasn't expecting to see you, of all people, out here."

"Surprise, surprise. Even I get insomnia." Despite the eyeroll it gets from the younger man, Linhardt's tone deflates some from the almost prickly response he had given earlier, yawning and stretching his arms out while looking to the sky. "...It's rather hard not to, when we consider what we're up against."

"...I know." Byleth looks to the sky as well, looking up to the stars and trying to see what Linhardt's looking at. Objectively speaking, there was nothing up there; no enemy scouts, no arrows, no magic...Byleth didn't really see the point in looking up, but he at least tried. The stars were just the stars to him, a constant in the night sky; nothing more, nothing less.

Silence hangs in the air for a while, both men looking up at a sky that holds different meanings for them both. It takes some time, but the green-haired man is the first to break it. "Hey...do you ever wonder what'll happen after you fall?"

"Huh?" Byleth's look shoots over to Linhardt, puzzled with the question. It's definitely a morbid topic to be thinking about... "What's gotten into you, all of a sudden?"

"Just..." Linhardt stretches some more and yawns, before continuing, "Every person has one life to live, right? That's why we try to do something with that life. We dedicate ourselves to what interests us, and when it's something like this...there's a good possibility your life will be cut short."

"...That is true, yes. Some people devote their whole lives to what will inevitably cut said lives short, should they fall." Byleth doesn't quite get what Linhardt is trying to get at, but he at least tries to listen to the man as he continues.

"Yeah, they do. The only thing that's left of them after that is what they've done...and the memories they've left behind." Linhardt's look goes back down towards the ground, his expression...unreadable, really. There's something on his mind--a lot on his mind, really, that Byleth is at the forefront of, but-- "There's always something that...you want to do, that you'll never get the chance to if you die."

Byleth shakes his head a bit, though there's definitely a bit of an exasperated smile finding it's way onto his features. "Like find the best napping spot in all of Fódlan, I take it?"

"What? No!" Linhardt's surprisingly indignant when he exclaims that much, turning to face Byleth with a glare before he thinks about it, and said look dies down. Damn, the man knew him all too well; it was almost embarrassing. "...Well, okay, _maybe_ , but that's hardly the point..."

Byleth chuckles a bit at Linhardt's expense, though it's all in good fun before he looks off to the distance; mostly making sure there's no sudden movements. "In all seriousness...I can understand what you're trying to say. You're worried about dying tomorrow, and leaving behind unfinished business." Byleth assumes that said unfinished business would be about his research on the crests, at the very least; maybe even his duties as the Earl, if Linhardt were feeling particularly responsible.

"Yeah, that...seems plausible." Linhardt's look goes to Byleth, seeing him turned away, focused elsewhere. He feels a bit put out, honestly; he kind of wants to get Byleth's attention back on him. It's been like that for a while, honestly, but now...the feeling is almost suffocating. Is this what's been keeping him up...? "It makes you want to do everything you can, in case tomorrow never comes."

"That's a bit of an impulsive way of viewing things, you know..." Byleth doesn't begrudge him for it despite not looking back at him, but he certainly never expected that much from the other man, that's for sure. He always seemed so...worry-free, not caring about what comes next; maybe that's just what war does to people. It's certainly done that for him, so maybe it's changed his former student as well. It wouldn't surprise him; the most he really gives is a shrug.

"...Maybe." When did his chest start to feel so uncomfortable? Each resounding pound practically echoes in his head, every single impulse rushing through his brain and wanting to just grab Byleth's face and kiss him. If he dies tomorrow, this will be his one chance to do something. It's private, nobody has to know, and if he wanted to get it out, now was the time to do it. "Of course, I...never implied that I wasn't impulsive, however."

Byleth seems taken aback by that, looking over at Linhardt instead of focusing on the path ahead. That's...new, and he's not quite sure what the other man's getting at when he says, "What exactly do you mean by that...?"

Well, if he's gonna act on it, now was as good a time as any. Linhardt walks over to Byleth, the confused look on the former teacher's face all too clear as he closes the gap between them and impulsively lays a kiss upon his cheek. He steps back as quickly as he came, red dusting his cheeks and his expression...still a little blank, but mostly looking like he's just trying to come to terms with what he just did as he watches Byleth's hand go up to touch his cheek. That same red dusts his own cheek, and he looks so utterly thrown...

"...That. I, ah..." Linhardt's confidence is out in the blink of an eye, gaze averting so he doesn't have to stare anymore. The path ahead is more important, clearly, as he tries to gulp down the lump in his throat. "...Do allow me to apologize. That may have been too hasty, on my part..."

Byleth pauses when Linhardt stumbles through that much, taking in a breath before straightening himself out. "...You're full of surprises, I must say."

"...I do hope they're good ones, at least?"

Linhardt's voice feels so small as he utters that before he hears Byleth walk over towards him, feeling his heart start to sink to the ground as he expects some kind of bad reaction. But he instead feels a hand cup one side of his face and turn it towards the man he just kissed, trying to get the younger man to look at him. Linhardt's eyes close in response to that, as if unwilling to confront what he just did, but he feels himself lean into the touch of the other man despite himself. His face scrunching as he prepares for _something_ , though he's not sure what.

"Look at me. Come on, Linhardt..."

"I--I am quite content to stay like this, thank you very much."

"Yeah, well _I'm_ not." Linhardt feels Byleth pinch one of his cheeks a bit after he retorts, and it forces one of his eyes to flutter open in response to the pain. Before he can try to push Byleth away, however, he just...sees a look of utter delight on the other man's face, despite looking about as red as a stewed tomato. He seems so happy, in a way that Linhardt hasn't seen him before; he looks soft, honestly, and it's... _cute_? Dare he utter that much? Byleth speaks up before he can get a chance, however, looking to the young man with a smile. "There. Was that so difficult?"

"When you're not certain how well such an impulsive action will be _received_ , yes..." Linhardt tries his best to pull a face, but he winds up only being able to hold it for a few moments before his own delight overtakes it, a smile slowly growing as he looks at the person he's wanted to do that to for _years_. "Does--does that mean--?"

Byleth chuckles, his hand going back to a gentle cupping motion before he nods. "Well, yes. I quite like you as well." He pauses a bit before he considers his next words, before he seems to think of something perfect. "...Now isn't exactly the time to be plying sweet nothings to your ears, however."

"Aww, come on. Not even one?" Linhardt pouts a bit at that, before seeing Byleth's expression change--the joy doesn't dissipate, but it seems very serious now. Resolute, even.

"We can save it for when our battle is done, tomorrow." Byleth states that much evenly, though with a determination that reminds Linhardt of why he fell for the man in the first place. "I do hope that you will look forward to it."

Linhardt hesitates a bit at that, his gaze darting to the side before it settles back on Byleth. "What if I don't make it back tomorrow? I mean--by the gods, I wanted to get that out a little more smoothly, but--"

"You will, Linhardt. I know you will, and I will do everything to ensure that." Byleth's claims are so full of vigor and confidence that it's almost...infectious, really, as he interrupts Linhardt mid-yammering. "Tomorrow _will_ come for you, and you will live to see it...because I know you will be able to fight to ensure that much. And we will come back to each other, ready for another tomorrow to come..."

"...You really do place a lot of confidence in me." It's hard for Linhardt not to swell a bit with pride, though, as a chuckle escapes him. "I guess that means I'm not allowed to disappoint you. Even if you are getting pretty sappy."

"Call it sappy if you want to." Byleth waves it off easily, his outlook undeterred. "I simply want to ensure that you'll live for tomorrow, rather than simply living for today...so that way we can look forward to the future. Together."

"...Heh." Linhardt decides to ease when Byleth says that much, his heart clearly warmed as he looks back at him, his smile warm and free. Future, together...that's a long ways off, but that doesn't sound like a bad thing to look forward to, honestly. "Then you know what...yeah. I'll look forward to the future with you. Just promise me you won't do anything reckless, if I'm going to try that much."

Byleth free hand goes to grasp one of Linhardt's own, bringing it up to press a kiss to the back of it before he vows, "You have my word. I will return to you alive and well, always...just as I know you will return to me."

Linhardt flushes further, and somehow...he's thankful that his impulses led him to Byleth, and he knows that things will be okay.

After all, tomorrow will certainly come.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for bearing with me through this rambly mess, the plotbunny wouldn't leave me and i've been craving some of that good m!byleth/linhardt content ever since i heard the rumor that you can be gay with him...
> 
> hopefully it's okay! thank you for reading!!


End file.
